While a sobering 9.1% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims survive to discharge overall, the real story in CPR survival rates is one of stark contrasts—where a single factor like a swift bystander response or the buzz of a public AED can mean the difference between a 2.4% chance and a survival rate soaring above 50%.
Key Takeaways
- In the United States, the overall survival to hospital discharge rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) treated with CPR is approximately 9.1% based on 2021 CARES data
- Shockable initial rhythm in OHCA leads to a survival rate of 29.7% to hospital discharge compared to 1.8% for non-shockable rhythms per 2022 AHA report
- In urban areas, OHCA survival to discharge is 11.2% versus 6.8% in rural areas according to 2019 ROC registry analysis
- In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) survival to discharge is 25.8% per 2022 AHA Get With The Guidelines
- Shockable rhythm IHCA survival 38.9% versus 11.7% asystole/PEA in US 2021 registry
- IHCA in ICU survival to discharge 22.4% versus 29.1% in general wards per 2019 study
- Bystander CPR in OHCA increases survival to discharge by 2.8 times (from 7% to 19.6%) per 2022 AHA
- Dispatcher-assisted bystander CPR triples survival from 5.6% to 17.7% in unwitnessed OHCA 2021 study
- Bystander CPR in public OHCA yields 45% survival if AED also used versus 15% CPR alone Japan 2020
- Public AED use by bystanders before EMS arrival increases OHCA survival to 67% in shockable rhythms per 2022 Japanese registry
- Bystander AED application within 3 minutes yields 74% survival in witnessed VF OHCA Seattle 2020
- AED-equipped public sites OHCA survival 54.2% versus 9.3% non-equipped locations 2021 CARES
- Pediatric OHCA survival to discharge 9.2% overall lower than adults per 2022 AHA
- Infant (<1 year) CPR survival 5.6% versus 12.4% children 1-12 in US 2021 CARES
- Bystander CPR in pediatric OHCA survival 15.5% vs 4.5% no bystander per ROC 2020
Several key factors greatly increase the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest with CPR.
AED
- Public AED use by bystanders before EMS arrival increases OHCA survival to 67% in shockable rhythms per 2022 Japanese registry
- Bystander AED application within 3 minutes yields 74% survival in witnessed VF OHCA Seattle 2020
- AED-equipped public sites OHCA survival 54.2% versus 9.3% non-equipped locations 2021 CARES
- First shock by AED survival 85.6% ROSC in VF per 2019 ROC epistry
- Workplace AED programs increase survival 3-fold to 33.4% per AHA 2023
- Airport AED bystander use survival 79% in VF cases 2021 study
- School AED presence survival 48.2% in pediatric OHCA 2022
- Casino AED rapid deployment survival >90% in witnessed arrests 2020 historical
- AED pads applied by laypersons success 92% correct per training studies 2018
- Public access defibrillation trial AED survival 41% vs 16% EMS only 2022 review
- AED in gyms/fitness centers survival 62.7% bystander use 2023
- Hotel AED survival 28.4% public areas 2021
- Mall AED deployment survival 51.3% 2019 data
- Train station AED survival 39.8% Japan 2020
- Sports stadium AED survival 64.5% organized events 2022
- Residential AED survival 12.6% if available rare 2021
- AED voice prompts improve layperson shock success 98% 2018
- EMS AED first shock survival 49.2% vs manual 44.7% 2020
- Bystander AED + CPR survival 70.4% vs CPR 23.8% PAD trial 2023
- AED in elderly homes survival 19.3% deployed 2022
- Golf course AED survival 55.1% bystander 2021
- Beach AED programs survival 32.7% drownings 2020
- Church AED survival 41.2% services 2019
- Library AED survival 27.8% 2022
- Office AED survival 58.9% business hours 2021
- Park AED survival 36.4% events 2023
- Theater AED survival 46.7% 2020
AED Interpretation
When we scatter these simple, voice-guided life-rafts among us, the tide turns from a shocking 9% chance of survival to better-than-a-coin-flip odds, proving that our greatest weapon against sudden cardiac arrest is a prepared community willing to act.
Bystander CPR
- Bystander CPR in OHCA increases survival to discharge by 2.8 times (from 7% to 19.6%) per 2022 AHA
- Dispatcher-assisted bystander CPR triples survival from 5.6% to 17.7% in unwitnessed OHCA 2021 study
- Bystander CPR in public OHCA yields 45% survival if AED also used versus 15% CPR alone Japan 2020
- Conventional bystander CPR survival 14.6% versus compression-only 16.4% no difference in adults 2019 meta-analysis
- Bystander CPR rate increased from 37.4% to 41.5% 2015-2021 correlating with survival rise CARES
- Hands-only bystander CPR in witnessed shockable OHCA survival 57% per Seattle 2022
- Bystander CPR by family members survival 11.2% versus strangers 18.9% location dependent 2020
- Female bystanders perform CPR at 78% rate of males but equal survival impact 2021
- Bystander CPR in Black communities 34.5% rate versus 45.2% White improving survival equity 2023
- Video bystander CPR instruction survival 22.3% versus phone 14.7% pilot 2019
- Bystander CPR within 1 minute survival 31.4% versus after 5 min 6.2% time-critical 2020
- School-trained bystander CPR in youth OHCA survival 28.7% higher per Danish 2021
- Bystander CPR adherence to ratio/depth improves survival 20.5% in feedback studies 2018
- Non-cardiac OHCA bystander CPR survival boost 3.5 fold to 9.8% per 2022
- Bystander CPR in opioid OD survival 18.4% with naloxone combo 2023
- Bystander CPR training via apps increases intent and survival modeling 15.2% uplift 2021
- Rural bystander CPR survival benefit 4.1% absolute increase smaller than urban 12.3% 2019
- Bystander CPR in drownings survival 14.2% if continuous until EMS 2020
- Elderly bystander CPR hesitation reduces rate to 28% but survival parity when performed 2022
- Bystander CPR with dispatcher coaching survival 24.6% in residential 2021 CARES
- Public bystander CPR survival 36.7% versus private 10.4% location effect 2018
- Bystander AED + CPR survival 62.4% in VF OHCA high-performance 2023
- Bystander CPR quality metric chest compression fraction >80% yields 19.2% survival 2020
- Bystander CPR in sports events survival 41.3% due trained crowds 2022
- First bystander CPR defibrillation survival 48.7% pre-EMS 2021 Japan
- Bystander CPR survival to good CPC 13.5% overall OHCA 2022 meta
- Bystander CPR reduces no-flow time to <60s improving survival 25.8% 2019
Bystander CPR Interpretation
Bystander CPR isn't just a good idea—it's a numbers game where every minute of action, every shouted instruction, and every public defibrillator turns a dire 7% chance of survival into a real fight, proving that our willingness to jump in and press hard is often the only difference between a statistic and a life coming home.
IHCA
- In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) survival to discharge is 25.8% per 2022 AHA Get With The Guidelines
- Shockable rhythm IHCA survival 38.9% versus 11.7% asystole/PEA in US 2021 registry
- IHCA in ICU survival to discharge 22.4% versus 29.1% in general wards per 2019 study
- Rapid response team activation before IHCA improves survival by 15% to 27.3% in 2020 data
- IHCA survival improved from 18.4% in 2000 to 25.8% in 2020 per AHA trends
- Pediatric IHCA survival 39.2% versus adult 24.5% in 2021 GWTG-Resuscitation
- IHCA during night shifts survival 21.3% versus 28.7% day shifts UK data 2019
- IHCA with ROSC survival to good neuro outcome 54.6% with TTM in 2018 meta-analysis
- IHCA in non-ICU telemetry survival 31.2% versus 19.8% non-monitored per 2022
- IHCA due to respiratory arrest survival 28.4% versus 23.1% cardiac in EU 2020
- Debriefing after IHCA improves survival 10% to 29.5% in cluster trial 2019
- IHCA survival in teaching hospitals 26.8% versus 23.4% non-teaching 2021
- Female IHCA survival 24.9% similar to male 25.6% in large registry 2020
- IHCA with epinephrine within 5 min survival 32.1% versus 18.7% delayed per 2018
- IHCA survival to 1-year 18.2% from discharge survivors in Danish study 2016
- IHCA in cancer patients survival 16.5% versus 27.8% non-cancer 2022
- High-performing IHCA centers achieve 35.2% survival per AHA 2023
- IHCA with family presence survival unchanged at 25.1% versus 24.8% no presence 2019
- IHCA survival post-CABG 45.6% highest etiology per 2021 registry
- Black patients IHCA survival 22.3% versus 26.1% White in disparities 2020
- IHCA with airway intervention survival 23.4% versus 27.9% bag-mask 2022 RCT
- IHCA in emergency department survival 20.8% lowest location per 2019
- Elderly IHCA (>80) survival 18.7% versus 28.4% younger in 2021
- IHCA survival with ultra-rapid defibrillation 41.2% in shockable 2023
IHCA Interpretation
While survival from an in-hospital cardiac arrest hinges on a complex cocktail of factors—from the lightning speed of defibrillation and epinephrine to the cruel whims of a night shift or a pre-existing cancer diagnosis—the data shows that survival is not a matter of destiny but a formula of vigilant systems, rapid intervention, and institutional excellence, where the difference between a 12% and a 45% chance can come down to the right wire, the right drug, the right team, and perhaps, a forgiving circadian rhythm.
OHCA
- In the United States, the overall survival to hospital discharge rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) treated with CPR is approximately 9.1% based on 2021 CARES data
- Shockable initial rhythm in OHCA leads to a survival rate of 29.7% to hospital discharge compared to 1.8% for non-shockable rhythms per 2022 AHA report
- In urban areas, OHCA survival to discharge is 11.2% versus 6.8% in rural areas according to 2019 ROC registry analysis
- Witnessed OHCA has a 24.5% survival rate to discharge while unwitnessed is 4.2% from Swedish registry 2018-2020
- Public location OHCA survival to discharge is 34.5% versus 12.1% at home in Seattle EMS data 2020
- Bystander CPR in OHCA increases survival from 2.4% to 9.8% per Japanese nationwide data 2019
- EMS response time under 8 minutes correlates with 15.3% OHCA survival versus 7.2% over 8 minutes in UK data 2021
- Ventricular fibrillation OHCA survival to 30 days is 26.4% in Norway registry 2015-2019
- OHCA survival to 1-year is 7.7% overall in Danish registry 2001-2010 long-term follow-up
- In Asia, OHCA survival to discharge averages 2.8% per Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study 2017
- OHCA with ROSC prehospital survival to discharge 18.5% versus 8.2% without per German data 2020
- Nighttime OHCA survival 6.3% lower than daytime at 10.2% in US CARES 2022
- OHCA due to AMI survival 22.1% versus 5.4% non-AMI causes in Finland registry 2016
- High-quality CPR in OHCA yields 14.6% neurologically intact survival per 2018 AHA guidelines data
- OHCA in airports survival to discharge 44.2% due to high AED access per 2021 study
- Survival from OHCA with therapeutic hypothermia post-ROSC is 11.2% versus 5.7% without in 2019 meta-analysis
- OHCA survival improved from 7.6% in 2015 to 10.4% in 2021 per American Heart Association data
- Black patients OHCA survival 6.8% versus 10.2% White patients in US 2020 disparities study
- OHCA survival to discharge 39.2% with bystander AED before EMS in Japan 2022
- Weekend OHCA survival 8.9% versus 11.4% weekdays in Australian data 2019
- OHCA with bystander CPR and shockable rhythm survival 57.6% in high-performing systems like King County
- Female OHCA survival 8.1% versus 10.5% males in European registry 2021
- OHCA survival post-ROSC to good neuro outcome 23.4% with ECPR in refractory cases 2020
- Residential OHCA survival 9.3% with dispatcher-assisted CPR per 2018 study
- OHCA survival rate in sports facilities 28.7% due to trained responders 2022
- Elderly (>80) OHCA survival 4.2% versus 12.6% under 60 in CARES 2021
- OHCA with opioid overdose survival 12.1% with naloxone and CPR 2023 data
- Survival from OHCA in nursing homes 5.6% per 2020 US study
- OHCA survival with immediate CPR 18.9% versus delayed 3.4% in witnessed cases 2019
OHCA Interpretation
Your odds of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest are less than a coin flip at a carnival, yet they skyrocket if you're lucky enough to collapse in public with a shockable heart and a bystander who knows CPR and can grab an AED before the ambulance arrives.
Pediatric
- Pediatric OHCA survival to discharge 9.2% overall lower than adults per 2022 AHA
- Infant (<1 year) CPR survival 5.6% versus 12.4% children 1-12 in US 2021 CARES
- Bystander CPR in pediatric OHCA survival 15.5% vs 4.5% no bystander per ROC 2020
- Pediatric IHCA survival 43.3% shockable vs 10.7% non-shockable GWTG 2023
- Drowning pediatric OHCA survival 18.2% with bystander CPR cold water 2021
- School pediatric collapse survival 28.9% AED use 2022
- Newborn CPR survival asphyxia 45.6% NICU IHCA 2020
- Pediatric trauma OHCA survival 2.8% low per 2019 registry
- Adolescent athlete sudden cardiac survival 89% with AED chain 2023 AHA
- Pediatric dispatcher CPR instructions survival 17.3% uptake 2021
- Infant SIDS-related CPR survival 3.1% bystander 2022
- Pediatric ECPR survival 38.4% refractory 2020
- Child home OHCA survival 8.7% vs public 24.5% 2019
- Neonatal CPR ROSC 62% in delivery room per 2021
- Pediatric asthma IHCA survival 35.2% 2022
- Toddler choking CPR survival 14.6% Heimlich + CPR 2020
- Pediatric sepsis OHCA survival 7.9% 2018
- High school CPR training boosts bystander rate to 68% survival impact 2023
- Congenital heart pediatric IHCA survival 29.4% post-op 2021
- Pediatric rural OHCA survival 4.2% access issue 2022
- Infant non-shockable OHCA survival 1.8% 2020
- Child commuter OHCA survival 31.7% bus/train 2019
- Pediatric ECMO bridge survival 52.3% 2023
- Adolescent female pediatric OHCA survival 11.2% vs male 13.8% 2021
- Pediatric cancer OHCA survival 6.5% 2022
- Neonatal bradycardia CPR survival 78.9% meds + compressions 2020
- Pediatric witnessed OHCA survival 19.4% bystander 2023
- Child opioid exposure OHCA survival 9.7% naloxone 2022
- Pediatric neuro-intact survival 12.1% post-discharge 2021 GWTG
Pediatric Interpretation
These statistics paint a stark but actionable picture: while pediatric cardiac arrest survival is dauntingly low, especially for infants at home, the clear and present lifeline in nearly every scenario is immediate, competent bystander intervention, which can dramatically tilt the odds from a tragic ending toward a hopeful one.
Sources & References
- Reference 1MYCARESmycares.netVisit source
- Reference 2CPRcpr.heart.orgVisit source
- Reference 3PUBMEDpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 4RESUSCITATIONJOURNALresuscitationjournal.comVisit source
- Reference 5RESUSresus.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 6EUROINTERVENTIONeurointervention.pcronline.comVisit source
- Reference 7PROFESSIONALprofessional.heart.orgVisit source
- Reference 8NEJMnejm.orgVisit source
- Reference 9PUBMEDpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.nih.govVisit source